1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a locking mechanism, and more particularly, a latch for securing garbage can lids to garbage cans.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is recognized that in many suburban communities, the disposal of refuse and garbage presents a problem in that individual householders must provide for the storage of these waste products for periods of time varying from several hours up to a week depending on the frequency with which collections are made by the local agency charged with the disposal of these materials. As a practical matter, refuse and garbage is usually stored in large metal containers kept outside of the dwelling house and unless the cover of such a receptacle is securely fastened, these receptacles attract the attention of stray dogs and cats, or other animals, such as raccoons, in the vicinity during the evening or early morning hours. Quite frequently, these marauders succeed in removing the cover, upsetting the receptacle and distributing the contents about the immediate area to create an unsightly and unsanitary condition.
A variety of lid latches have been proposed in the prior art, but all of them have various disadvantages that the present invention is intended to overcome. For example, many latches require multiple elements such as springs stretching across the diameter of the lid to retain the latch in locking position and thus are inconvenient and unwieldy to use. Examples of such latches are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,974,990 and 1,207,974. Many latches must be affixed to a lid of the garbage can in a substantially permanent manner with the result that the latch mechanism may have to be thrown away if the can or lid is worn out or damaged. An example of such a latch is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,903. Finally, some latch mechanisms may require additional clamping elements such as magnets or set screws to retain the latch in clamping relation on the garbage can lid. Examples of such constructions are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,275,363 and 4,202,574. Furthermore, these latches require coil spring mechanisms to return the latch to its lock position after the lid is opened and then replaced on the garbage can. The present invention avoids many of these disadvantages of the prior art.